Mountain Made
by Ijustwritehungergames
Summary: The man was an enigma, she wasn't sure what to think of him or his strange ways, but there was something compelling about him, something trying to pull her from her comfort zone, it was like fate had dropped him into her lap for some strange reason. A reason she both wanted to figure out and hide from.
1. Chapter 1

This idea came from Stephen Kings Misery, that being said it's going to be nothing like that. This isn't a horror story, Katniss isn't going to be psycho. Pretty much the only thing this story will have in common with Misery is the beginning. But I did get this idea from the horror master that is Stephen King, no copywrite infringement is intended, the idea was his and the characters belong to the lovely Suzanne Collins. Enjoy! Oh and don't be put off by Katniss calling cars 'automobiles', it'll be explained.

Sitting on the bank of the large lake, fishing pole in hand, I can feel the warning in the air that signals the beginning of winter is fast approaching. This will most likely be the last time I'll be able to fish before the lake freezes. The lake is a good 3 hour hike from home and once winter sets in the hike won't be worth it, we have plenty of food preserved back at the house, fresh is always better but living on a mountain you learn to live with what you have. The lake has always been my favorite place, I came here with my father when I was younger almost every week. I used to be so enthralled by the gravel road that lies on the opposite side from my spot, the idea that I could follow it to something new enraptured me like one of Daddy's songs. He once told me it used to be the only path through the mountains until they built an interstate that allows for a speedier journey, I can count on one hand how many times I've seen an automobile on that road, all but one belonged to old man Ripper, the other promptly turned around and head back down the mountain, presumably lost.

So when I see a small shiny automobile making its way up entirely too fast it grabs my full attention, I see it all happen as though in slow motion the automobile speeds around the curve, the tires fail to catch on the loose gravel and sends it straight for a pine. The corner clips the large pine just right sending it spiraling straight into the lake. At first I'm shocked frozen, not really sure what to do, it seems like hours but is most likely just a few seconds before I spring into action. The automobile is not yet fully submerged as I drop my pole and run as fast as my legs can carry me to the other side of the lake, it may not be winter yet but I know the water is already colder than any human can withstand for long without certain death claiming them. As I round the lake I shed my coat, boots and sweater, snatch up a large rock and dive in at the closest point to the rapidly disappearing automobile, the tail end went in first so I can still see the person inside. I swim to the window closest to the person, trying not to let the coldness of the water send me into a panic. It's a man and I can see blood covering his face as he makes no move to free himself from his metal coffin. I swing the rock with all my force at the window and a shower of glass falls upon the man, that was probably a bad idea, but it's the best I have. The automobile is sinking quicker or maybe it just feels as though it is, I pull on the strangers arm only to find he's strapped in by some woven contraption. I pull my hunting knife from the sheath of my boot at begin to sever the straps that are locking him into a cold deadly fate just as the automobile fully emerges. I take a deep breath before following it and cutting the second strap I find at his waist, my lungs burn screaming for unavailable oxygen as I pull him through the window I've broken. Just as I think I've freed him his pant leg snags on one of the shards of glass remaining in the window, I'm out of time to try and untangle the clothing from the glass, I need air and he needs helps, so I press my feet against the side of the automobile and push off with my remaining strength propel us to the surface. I awkwardly swim us to the bank and it takes every bit of strength I possess to get him onto the shore where I collapse backward and catch my breath trying to think of what to do next. It's clear I cannot carry him to my home, I could hardly free him from the water, I'll have to fetch help, leaving him here in his soaking clothes isn't an option though as he'll catch his death from the cold by the time I return. The only thing I can think to do is build a fire, strip him of his wet clothes and cover him in my coat and sweater, the Hawthorne's are only about an hour away if I walk, possibly 45 minutes if I can keep a steady run the whole way. I'd really rather not ask Gale for assistance after our falling out but I can't very well have this strangers death on my hands over my stubbornness so I set to work building a fire before stripping him down to (thankfully) a pair of shorts under his pants, his body is riddled with injuries but I have no way of treating him now, I need to get him to Prim. I wrap Daddy's leather coat around his torso before slipping my sweater around his bottom half upside down so he legs are enclosed inside as a torso would be then set off to the Hawthorne's in a steady run that will allow me to get there faster without tiring me to quickly to finish the journey.

I'm only about 15 minute into my journey when I see Gales form ahead of me, he turns toward me having obviously heard my steps (which are normally silent) and looks at me curiously as I run toward him.

"What's wrong Catnip?"

"I need your help, there's a man, he's hurt." I tell him panting as I try to catch my breath.

"A man? I know your Daddy taught you about strangers, why you tryin' to help strange folk?"

"His automobile sunk in the lake, I fished him out but he's hurt and I can't carry him back to Prim on my own." He looks at me as though I've grown 2 heads.

"C'mon Gale! Strange folk or not, we can't just let him die! Even you ain't that heartless!"

"Fine! Let me grab Rory."

"No, there's no time Gale, we gotta get him to Prim."

"I'm gonna need more than a girls help Katniss, a full grown man ain't light." I want to argue but I know he's right.

"Fine, but I gotta go back and see if I can't stop some of the bleedin'. Grab Rory and come to the lake, you'll see the smoke from the fire, that's where he is."

He nods and jogs off in the direction of his house.

"Please hurry Gale!" I holler after him, he waves me off but picks up the pace and I turn and head back toward the strange man grabbing a few of the remaining herbs I know will help stop the bleeding along the way.

Nothing has changed since I left him by the fire, he's still in the same position, still has a pulse although it seems to have grown weaker. I'm not a healer by any means, that title falls solely to my sister Prim, but I know a good deal about herbs so I'm able to make a simple paste to stop the bleeding on his head, the deep gash on his leg though is another story, no matter how much paste I apply it just won't stop, he needs stitches, but I'm at a loss as to how to do that especially without a needle or thread, so I just wrap the shirt I removed from him earlier around his leg and hold it in place with some long thorns. Then I wait. It takes about an hour before I see Gale and Rory break through the tree line and head towards me.

They've brought along a sheet they've attached to some tree limbs that they place the strange on before hoisting it between themselves and we start the long journey to Prim. I've got to hand it to them really, for the carrier they've developed and the speed at which the get him back to my house, I know Gale didn't want to help, but it seems as though he is trying to help me save this man if his speed is any judge of that. The journey is quiet after they have me explain what happened other than a few comments between the two of him about the man being heavier than a Redwood itself.

Prim jumps straight into healer mode when we arrive, asking only necessary questions, that will change later after she stabilizes the man I'm sure. Our mother used to go into healer mode like that, it makes me wistful and it takes all the effort I've got left not to tear up at the thought of my parents. My Daddy had been out hunting one day when I was 16 and was surrounded by a pack of wolves, I had been stuck in bed with a fever that day or I'd have been there with him, he managed to take out a few, but it wasn't enough, the feral beasts killed him. Gale's Dad had been the one to find him, hardly recognizable and brought him to Mama, it was too late.

She followed 3 days later, Hazelle Hawthorne told us it was a broken heart that killed her, but I saw the purple tint to her lips, she'd eaten the nightlock while Prim and I slept. I tried to hate her for leaving us, and for awhile I think I did, in the hard times I did anyway, but I couldn't begrudge the woman when thoughts of the way her eyes shined when Daddy walked into the room or sang us all a tune from their city days. I would have considered eating the nightlock too if it hadn't been for Prim, Daddy was just one of those people that once you had him in your life being without him was just unthinkable.

Gale and Rory leave after I make them each a glass of mint tea, but not before Gale tells me I ought to kick the man out the moment he wakes up, "ain't no place for a city boy like him here with two girls." I just roll my eyes and thank them for the help. Prim spends a good 2 hours assessing and treating the man, she stitches his leg before slathering his wounds with a mix of what I believe is Echinacea, honey and myrrh. We cover him in blankets where he lies atop our kitchen table and Prim asks for the story now that she's got a moment, I relay the events to her and she looks at me with wide blue eyes full of pain and sympathy.

"The poor man, I wonder where he was going, or where he's from for that matter. He sorta looks like an angel, don't you think Katniss?" For the first time I allow myself to really look at the man and not his predicament. Prim's right, if he weren't so banged up the only thing he'd be missing was a halo.

"I suppose he does, ain't no such thing as angels though Prim, you know that, all that nonsense Sae filled your head with is just that, nonsense. You remember what Daddy told us about all that religious stuff startin' wars and such."

"I know Katniss, but still, it's a nice feeling to think that maybe Mama and Daddy's lookin' down at us don't you think?"

"A nice thought, yes, but ain't nothin' else to it little duck. When's he gonna wake up?"

"I'm not sure, he's hit his head pretty hard, he may not wake up at all, all we can do is wait and see."

So that's what we do, we wait.

**A/N: So what do you think? Keep going or scrap it? For those of you reading A Thousand Years, I have the next chapter planned out it my head it's just a matter of getting the events down how it is in my head. **


	2. Chapter 2

Prim removes all the items from the man's soiled clothing before tossing them into our wash tub for soaking. There isn't much, a few pieces of melted peppermint, a wallet, and some little rectangular gadget. Prim opens them man's wallet in hopes of discovering his name, which she tells me is Mellark Peeta Wayne. It seems like an odd name but I assume it's no stranger than being named after an aquatic potato.

"There's a photograph of him and a blonde woman, but there's no writing on the back like Mama and Daddys."

"Put it back Prim, you were just looking for a name and you've found it, s'not right to keep going through his things."

"Okay, his card says he lives in New York, wonder what he's doing way out here? I'm going to check the geography book at see how far it is exactly."

Prim loves knowledge, she reads anything we can get our hands on, Daddy use to special request books from old man Ripper, but I don't know what to even ask for so I just trade for whatever he comes across.

"1,800 miles, he's a long way from home."

"That he is little duck. How long do you thi-"

I'm cut off by the sound of the man's groan as he stirs, Prim is at his side and back to her clinical demeanor in an instant.

"Mr. Wayne? It's alright I'm going to need you to calm down and relax so you don't exasperate your injuries."

"Uuggh, what happened? I feel like I got hit by a truck."

"You crashed your automobile, you're pretty banged up so I just need you to relax as much as possible alright?"

"Are you the nurse or doctor, I need something, everything hurts. Please!"

"Neither, My name is Primrose, I'm a healer."

"A healer?" Prim hums in response while checking his injuries and breathing and other things, and he lets his eyes wander around our home for the first time, confusion marring his features with everything he takes in. When his eyes land on me he asks Prim quietly as though he's afraid of the answer, "Am I dead?"

"No Mr. Wayne, you are very much alive if your pulse is any indication."

"Peeta."

"Pardon?"

"My name, it's Peeta Mellark, Wayne is my middle name."

"Oh, I'm real sorry, I read it in your wallet and they must've jumbled up the order of the names on your picture card." He looks at Prim as though she's sprouted a second head.

"Umm, where am I exactly?"

"You are in Seam Woods, at the Everdeen home."

"You said I wrecked my car? Why am I not at the hospital?" Prims face falls, I think he's insulted her so I take over with the explanation.

"There are no hospitals here, Prim is the best healer around, but if she isn't up to your standards you're welcome to go freeze to death in that automobile under the lake I pulled you from."

"KATNISS! That's enough, I'm sure he's in enough shock already."

"What do you mean no hospitals? Just call 911." He turns to Prim before pleading "I'm sorry, truly I am, I just need something for the pain I'm sure you're a great...healer but I need morphling."

"I'm afraid the only way to make a telephone call would be to ride to town with Ripper, Katniss can ask about when he'll be goin' in next in the morning, but I'm afraid your stuck with us tonight. I've got some syrup that will help you sleep, I'll give it to you real soon. Can you tell me the last thing you remember before the accident?"

"Uuugh, I don't know." Prim frowns at this, Peeta clenches his fist in pain as she continues her examination.

"Maybe when you're not feelin' so lousy you'll remember." She walks into the kitchen to retrieve the sleep syrup leaving Peeta a moaning mess.

"She really is the best healer, the only one better was Mama."

"Is she here? Your Mom? Maybe she could get me to the town." I can see the sweat glistening on his forehead from the pain.

"Nope, she's dead."

Prim returns with the sleep syrup mixture and gives him 3 spoonfuls, it only takes about 5 minutes before his moans of pain turn to whimpers then a light snore. Prim cover him up again and returns to her knitting before speaking.

"We should probably take turns keepin' an eye on him."

"Alright, why don't you go get some rest while he's asleep since I won't do him no good if he's awake." We both know I'm no healer, she concedes and gives me a hug telling me to wake her if anything changes before retiring. The evening goes by quietly, I fletch a few arrows and get some knitting done, knitting isn't my forte, but my items are still functional so that's all that really matters. After a few hours I find it hard to keep my eyes open so I rest my head on the back of the chair I'm seated at and close my eyes, just for a moment I tell myself, I must fall asleep though because next thing I know I'm jarred from my slumber by something and fall right out of the chair.

"Uuugh, help me." Peeta whimpers in pain as I pick myself up from the floor, instead of fetching Prim like I know I should I go to his side.

"Where's it hurt?"

"My leg and my head."

"Sorry about your leg, it got caught when I was pullin' you out, the glass I broke to get you out cut it."

"You here to finish me off sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that, my name is Katniss, if you can't call me Katniss then don't address me at all." I tell him as I turn on my heel to get Prim.

"No, please, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me alone, I've been alone in the dark for what feels like days now." I turn back feeling guilty for the fear I hear in his voice, I know how sleep syrup works, you're not really asleep but not awake, it's like you're stuck somewhere in between and have no control to pull yourself one way or the other.

"I was just going to get Prim to come check your leg."

"No more of that stuff please. It doesn't help the pain, it just keeps me trapped."

"That's up to Prim, if you don't want the sleep syrup anymore than you're going to have to relax, stress is bad for healing injuries that's why she's been keeping you asleep."

"I can't handle that kind of sleep anymore, I think I'd rather die."

"You're not going to die in my home, I forbid it." I'm sick of death in my home, I don't want to dig anymore graves.

"Okay, I won't die if you won't drug me anymore. Deal?"

"Like I said, it's up to Prim."

I rouse Prim and she jumps back into healer mode, Peeta it's much more subdued during her examination this time than he has been. She cleans his wounds before applying new ointments and covering them again.

"So Peeta, can you tell me what you remember about the accident?" His face screws up and he closes his eyes.

"I don't, I don't know. Everything's like murky, I can't remember a lot actually."

"Well, why don't we start with what you can remember, do you remember where you grew up?"

"Yeah, a small town in Maine above the bakery my family owns."

"Good, what about your family can you remember them?"

"I remember my Dad, well sort of, I know his face and he's my Dad, but I can't remember his name. Same with my brothers, I know I have 2 and I can see their faces but I can't seem to find their names."

"And your Mama?" He shakes his head.

"No, I can't even drum up an image of her, I can't seem to remember much of my childhood, just Dad and my brothers faces."

"Do You remember your birthday?"

"June 3rd."

"And how old are you?"

"What year is it?"

"So you don't remember your current age?"

"No."

"Well, how old do you think you are?"

"I don't know, I have a licence so I'm obviously at least 16, but I'm not living at home anymore so I suppose I can raise that to at least 18?" I don't miss the way his voice rises at the end of the sentence in question.

"Well, according to your picture card..."

"Licence."

"Yeah licence, you are 22."

"Really?" Prim nods and he looks momentarily bewildered.

"How old were you in your last memory?"

"I don't really have any memories of my life, all I can remember is a vague outline of my family."

"Do you know where you live currently?"

"Here until you can get me to the hospital?" He gives a small grin to Prim as he says it and she falls into a fit of giggles.

"Oh you! You know what I mean, I read your picture card so I know the city you live in, can you remember?"

"Uhhh, Maine I guess, I know I loved baking when I was little, I imagine I still work there so I'd have to live there."

"Hmm. Well the picture card says New York, ring any bells?"

"New York? Why the hell do I live in New York?"

"Apparently because you want to." she tells him with a shrug.

"Why do you keep calling it a picture card?"

"What else would I call it?"

"Well it's actually called a drivers licence, or ID, or identification card."

"Ahh, I see, thank you for the clarification."

The house is quiet for a moment as Prim and Peeta get lost in thought, Prim thinking on everything she know of brain injuries and Peeta, well who knows what this strange man is thinking.

"So" Prim starts cautiously, "We know that you are 22, your name is Peeta Wayne Mellark, you grew up in Maine with your Dad and brothers and at some point you moved to New York."

"Sounds like a lot is missing, what do I do?"

"Just try and relax as much as possible, focus on what you can remember and see if they can lead you to other memories, even little memories can help you connect the dots."

"I really am grateful for everything and I don't mean for it to sound like I'm not, but when do you think we'll be able to make arrangements for that phone call?"

"Let Katniss get some rest and she can go as soon as she wakes up."

"I can go now, by the time I get there the sun will be up."

"You'll do no such thing! Go sleep Katniss, he'll be fine until then." I frown, I'm really not comfortable leaving him alone with my baby sister, granted she's not much of a baby anymore, but still.

"I'll be fine Prim, the sooner he gets that telephone call taken care of the sooner I can rest easy."

"You don't have to worry Katniss, he couldn't hurt me right now if he wanted to."

"I won't hurt her, I swear I'm not some creepy murderer or anything."

"How do you know? You can't remember how old you are, how can you remember if your a murderer or not?" He frowns but doesn't respond.

"Well, I don't feel like one, I don't want to hurt anybody."

"Good, because if you so much as hurt her feelings while I'm resting I'll bury you alive."

"Duly noted."


End file.
